Biji Eapen President, IAAI
The need of the hour is for the travel and tourism sector to strategically take steps for survival, build capacities and services for revival, and thrive. The spread of the new variant Omicron is alarming. Travel restrictions and travel bans continue to affect many parts of the world even today.
The two years lesson taught that self-preservation or survival has priority. Our mission in 2022 is “Survival, Revival and Thrive the Travel Tourism Industry,” a new campaign on behalf of the entire travel and tourism fraternity that makes us stay and support our families.
Towards that, IAAI is spearheading a nationwide signature campaign to support our appeal to the MoCA seeking the reinstatement of the Travel Agency commission, a legal right of Travel Agents in India as provided in DGCA Order on 5th March 2010.
I feel many prevailing regulatory policies could promote solidarity and help for survival. Travel and tourism in India are represented through various trade associations, bifurcated and calibrated to its nature and scope like adventure, medical, wellness, cruises, sports, MICE, eco-tourism, film, religious and rural (village) tourism.
MSME should not be a yardstick for tourism subsidiaries. Many agents are out of the ambit that stimulus package offered by the Government unless the policy is changed. Travel agents or tour operators’ basic income legally comes from air tickets, and we only ask government authorities to implement and enforce the law that mandates “commission.” Our mission is to save the industry where no one is deprived of law. Post lockdown predictions and preparations would need a better understanding of the current situation. The pandemic effects are effectively visible on inbound, outbound and domestic tourism, adventure travel, business travel, cruise holidays, and air travel. Governments must take all the trade associations and organisations into confidence and plan future strategies accordingly to revive the sector.
The Travel & Tourism sector is one of the world’s largest economic sectors. Digital technology provides new communication and distribution channels for consumers and travel services suppliers. The Internet enables travel agencies to adopt digital marketing to attract, inform and serve travellers. Many travellers believe that traditional travel agents and tour operators are accessible, reliable, accountable, and trustworthy for customer loyalty and personalised services, rather than depending on OTAs and other online portals that could provide or inflate digital inspiration for those dreaming of travelling.
Our study shows that many travellers had bitter experiences in transacting with toll-free customer care numbers for cancelling and refunding their air tickets and hotel bookings made through OTAs and airline websites during the early Covid-19 pandemic. The lesson they learned gives us the insight and spirit that traditional travel intermediaries have more weightage in responsibility, consciousness and dependability in this modern age. The new manner shall require a substantial livelihood to all stakeholders to survive. We need unity to create a unique perception to solve our problems. Let us get inspired by the words of Henry Ford, “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is a success.” Let us unite and change our existence, whether traditional systems, responsible tourism, or revenge travel.